Now on Airbnb: gonzo journalism master Hunter S. Thompson's guest cabin on his infamous Owl Farm compound in Woody Creek, Colorado. Eventually, the late writer's wife Anita intends to turn the property, including their living quarters, into a museum and writer's retreat. For now, you can rent the two-bedroom guest cabin for $550/night. According to the listing, Anita Thompson "will try to be available at least once per visit depending on circumstances." HST fan Kevin EG Perry spent a night at the cabin and wrote about it for The Guardian:

It is 4.30 on a Thursday morning and I am writing these words on the big red IBM Selectric III that once belonged to Hunter S Thompson. Owl Farm, Thompson’s “fortified compound” in Woody Creek, Colorado, is dark and silent outside. Even the peacocks he raised are sleeping. The only sound anywhere is the warm hum of this electric typewriter and the mechanical rhythm of its key strikes, as clear and certain as gunfire.

In April, Thompson’s widow, Anita, began renting out the writer’s cabin to help support the Hunter S Thompson scholarship for veterans at Columbia University, where both she and Hunter studied. It sits beside the main Thompson home on a 17-hectare estate marked with hoof prints and elk droppings that gradually rises towards a mountain range. A short walk uphill is the spot where Thompson’s ashes were fired into the sky from a 153ft tower in the shape of a “Gonzo fist”, a logo he first adopted during his unsuccessful 1970 campaign to be sheriff of nearby Aspen...

This isn't a long story, but damn, it's a great one: students at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom recently came together to celebrate one of the best things about where they go to school: a Janitor named Herman Gordon. Running into Gordon on campus, by all reports, is a bright, shining high point in the day of many of the University's students. According to one individual, quoted by the BBC, Gordon "...is the epitome of happiness."

Considering the fact that Gordon spends his days cleaning up after the thousands of folks that roam the university on a daily basis, his great attitude is just that much more amazing. My father was a janitor and he was a miserable prick. Anyway, one of the University of Bristol's students thought that it was time that those that know and appreciate what the cleaner brings to their lives on a daily basis showed their appreciation to him. So, a fundraising campaign to send Gordon and his wife on a vacation to visit family in Jamaica was launched. The campaign managed to raise £1500 – more than enough to send the couple on their way.

From The Daily Mail:

According to an admin from the Bristruths Facebook page - an anonymous 'truth' page for Bristol University - the idea for Mr Gordon's trip came from a Facebook post.

'It all started with this post on the 19th May,' they said.

The initial post called Mr Gordon 'the jolliest man I have ever met' and said 'if you wanna reason to smile, go talk to him for a min or two'.

The Truck Surf Hotel is a modded Mercedes Actros outfitted with a hydraulically-expanding two-story inn. Inside is a living room, kitchen, four double rooms with bunk bed, one double room with a single larger bed, bathroom, and shower. Over the course of a week vacation package, the hotel travels to surf destinations in Portugal and Morocco. The trip is around $700-$900 depending on the destination and season; airfare not included.

Truck Surf Hotel (via Uncrate)

Read the rest

Research has shown the the best length for vacation is between 3 to 6 days: "People on mid-length holidays of between three to six days tended to report more positive mood than those on shorter or longer trips." This is one of six sensible tips to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible Barking Up the Wrong Tree from Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Anticipate: It brings more happiness than the trip itself because that awful thing called “reality” can’t get in the way… and leave your luggage in Abu Dhabi.

Avoid the 2 big mistakes: Think about your personality and who you’ll be going with. And keep the trip between 3 to 6 days. (Especially if you need to change your contact lenses and they’re currently drying out in Abu Dhabi.)

Schedule lots of fun stuff: Frequency beats intensity when it comes to happiness. So plan lots of cool activities and take tons of great photos. (And then find solace in just how many other people are using the “#stillnoluggage” hashtag on Instagram.)

Savor: Unless it’s to call Air Berlin customer service for the 47th time, put the smartphone down and enjoy yourself.

Use the “peak-end” rule: Your brain is going to remember the peak and the end, so plan them. Don’t let the emotional high point be finally finding some deodorant.

Ease back into work: (No explanation for this one. I’m taking it easy.)

"Schedule lots of fun stuff" is something Carla and I did on our recent (6 day) trip to Tokyo. Read the rest

Spitbank Fort is an offshore island fortress built in the mid-Victorian to help protect Portsmouth. It's been renovated by some savvy hoteliers who've turned it into a luxury hotel and conference centre, and it's all rather gorgeous. You can book the whole thing for retreats, weddings, etc, or just book an individual room.

History of Spitbank Fort

(via Kadrey) Read the rest